Vampire ②
It was not a particularly pleasant thing.
I had come to the Hunter Association for a witness investigation.
It was all because of the Black Wolf’s villainous deeds.
The stress of the fake smile was exhausting.
The Hunter Association audit room.
The investigation proceeded calmly for about an hour.
Given the tension, it wasn’t a big deal.
It was like a dentist where you don’t hear the drill sound.
At first, it was quite awkward.
Because of the staff member who was startled by my gender.
“Are you Seol Siha? Um, how is your relationship…?”
“It’s me. I’ll show you my ID.”
“Eh?”
The staff member’s face was in panic.
From looking at my personnel file, it seemed they saw the photo from when I was male.
“I thought your voice on the phone was quite feminine, but… so that’s how it is.”
The inside of the audit room was abuzz because of me.
Male employees passed by, glancing at me once or twice.
It was troublesome because I could feel their gazes. Everyone is male.
It’s like the feeling of a female intern who came for practical training at a boys’ school.
On the table prepared for the investigation, there was a full spread of tea and sweets.
“Um… It’s not really something to call an apology, but please have some. It’s something I serve to special guests.”
The arranged sweets were quite luxurious.
It wasn’t the quality of receiving a witness formally.
Can I eat this?
The atmosphere was awkward, but the sweets looked delicious.
I had come without having breakfast, after all.
Maybe a little bit is okay?
When I met eyes with the staff, they smiled brightly at me.
As if wanting to leave a good impression on me.
The response was positive. I quietly picked up a sweet and ate it.
Delicious!
I ate the sweets little by little.
Like a squirrel holding a nut in its mouth, I munched on them.
I almost forgot the purpose of coming here suddenly.
There were some twists, but the investigation was nearing the end.
“Your name often comes up in Black Wolf’s work documents. It seems you must have had a significant workload when you were working there.”
“Ah, ahaha… So that’s how it was.”
“Please wait in the waiting room for a moment. After I organize the content, I’ll let you know if the investigation is over.”
Following the staff’s instructions, I headed to the waiting room.
“Huh?”
There, I faced a girl in unusual attire.
A Gothic-style dress fluttering with frills and ribbons.
Moreover, her eyes were red. They were dyed in a deep crimson.
She looks younger than me from her face… Ah.
And our eyes met.
“Hic!? W-what!?”
The girl started walking briskly towards me.
Her face was like that of an adventurer looking for party members in a bar.
“Are you also a victim of the Black Wolf?”
Her speech was more elegant and refined than her age.
But the content was incomprehensible. I didn’t understand what she meant.
Hmm. Is Black Wolf referring to Black Wolf?
Guessing, it might be asking if I’m related to Black Wolf.
“Ah, um… If I have to say, it doesn’t seem so.”
“Lies! This institution is currently carrying out a ritual to strictly judge the Black Wolf!”
“Is that talking about the audit procedure?”
“Yes, that’s it! And this place is gathering avengers who have been deceived by the Black Wolf’s schemes.”
It was just a confusing story. I didn’t get it.
I had a bewildered face.
The girl’s behavior was strange.
I, as a common citizen, am not the type to get involved.
I want to go home quickly.
I felt like sitting on a thistle.
It was awkward to be seated with the girl in the waiting room.
“What is your name?”
I tried to ignore it, but the girl kept talking to me.
I avoided the gaze like encountering a suspicious otherworlder.
“Ah, as for me, I am Marie the Bloody Maiden, the night executioner and the blood lord!”
Marie took something out of her pocket and showed it.
It was a Hunter qualification certificate. The grade was the lowest, F rank.
In the part where the name is written, there was a modification trace saying ‘Marie the Bloody Maiden’.
If forging a Hunter qualification certificate is a punishable offense. Is it okay?
She has a sincere personality.
I couldn’t understand the meaning of the name, but…
“… I am called Seol Siha.”
I had no choice but to reveal my name.
I wanted to fit in and slip away.
“I see. Seol Siha. We are on the verge of a destiny of unity!”
Marie’s state became more serious.
It was like a cat seeing a robot vacuum cleaner going out of control.
“I felt the future of sublime bonds from you. Let’s together punish the Black Wolf.”
The Korean didn’t sound like Korean. The interpretation was urgent.
It was then that the staff member entered the waiting room.
“Siha-nim, you’ve worked hard. You can return home from now on… Marie, you’re here again?”
The staff member seemed to recognize Marie.
Marie froze like seeing a natural enemy.
Her face was that of a girl who was scared of being scolded.
Her momentum weakened like melted ice cream.
“You’re going back?”
“…Yes.”
After the staff member’s one word, Marie wilted.
It seemed like this pattern hadn’t been experienced once or twice.
“Siha-nim, are you okay?”
The staff member who defeated Marie asked me for well-being.
“Yes, thanks to the staff member.”
“Unauthorized outsiders are strictly prohibited from entering, but they often appear lately. … Marie.”
The staff member’s explanation was like that.
Marie was also a witness for the Black Wolf audit.
Because she was a victim caught in Black Wolf’s schemes.
Marie, who became a Hunter in the recent test.
Black Wolf approached Marie using a contract as an excuse.
They exploited Marie with an unfair Hunter contract.
Exactly, they tried to exploit her.
Marie’s aptitude was below standard, and after a while, they kicked her out, but it ended as an attempt.
Later, they threatened unfair clauses and tried to collect penalty fees.
If they couldn’t get compensation, they would have incited probationary employees.
Like Black Wolf’s sweet talk to approach Myoa.
“Fortunately, the audit was discovered, so Marie is being investigated, and the relevant contract has been invalidated.”
Marie harbored revenge against Black Wolf and was looking for companions to fight together.
To do this, she seemed to frequently intrude into the audit room investigating Black Wolf.
So that’s what happened.
I roughly understood what Marie said.
We should stick together as victims of Black Wolf.
Unity and revenge.
In summary, that’s it.
Perhaps Marie felt a sense of kinship with my appearance.
At least, she is a girl of similar age in appearance.
“Anyway, you’ve worked hard. You can go home.”
“Yes, thank you.”
After exchanging greetings with the staff member, I moved with a weary body.
Soon, at the exit of leaving the Association headquarters—
“I was waiting!”
I met Marie again.
If you give me a stick, I won’t eat the tiger.
Hmm. What to do.
At first, I thought she was just an unusual girl.
But after hearing the circumstances, my thoughts changed.
I couldn’t leave Marie as is.
The desire to retaliate as much as she was done by Black Wolf would be similar.
“First, how about having lunch together and talking?”
“Are you inviting me to a banquet!?”
Marie’s eyes sparkled with wide-open eyes.
“Ah, ahaha… It’s not that grand a meal, though.”
“Okay, I love it!”
Marie accepted the proposal with a blissful expression.
Her face was happy like a child who received pudding as a guarantee.
Uh, uh. I suddenly made a promise.
I took out my smartphone.
I had to tell Sehyun about this fact.
“It’s me. Since it’s late, make lunch for yourself.”
- Why? I texted that the investigation was over. I was waiting for you to come. You said you’d make lunch!
“Anyway, that’s how it is. Goodbye, Lee Penber.”
- Hey, wait…
I didn’t need to explain the details. Just hang up.
After ending the call, I looked back at Marie.
Marie was staring at me intently.
“The person you just called is your spouse?”
In other words, spouse. That is, marriage partner.
I frowned like biting my tongue.
It was creepy to be misunderstood as being in a relationship with Sehyun.
“No, just a roommate.”
“Hmm. So, a common-law marriage, I suppose.”
“No, it’s not!!!”
I firmly declared to Marie.
Sehyun is just a normal friend.
“I see. The way you contact him looked very enjoyable, so I misunderstood.”
“It looked enjoyable?”
“Yes. Among the appearances I’ve seen so far, you looked the happiest.”
It was an exaggerated statement. It wasn’t that much.
After all, it’s just daily interaction between old friends.
“Anyway, is there something you want to eat for lunch? I’ll pay.”
Walking on a path with little foot traffic,
I asked Marie.
“Anything is fine?”
Marie’s lips twitched slightly.
There was hope, but it seemed hard to bring it up easily.
“Yes, within the possible range.”
“Actually, I haven’t had proper intake for two weeks, so I was at my limit. I was in a desperate situation.”
“What? That’s bad. Tell me anything. I’ll feed you.”
“T-them…”
After thinking, Marie opened her mouth.
At that moment, I saw it. The fangs sprouting from Marie.
“I want to drink your blood.”
I am a vampire.
A request that reminded me of a snake’s fangs.
“…Is that not possible?”
Marie was looking at me pitifully.